Migration from Jharkhand: Determinants, Livelihood Strategies and Socio-Economic Consequences—An Empirical Analysis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Migration is an important component of livelihood transformation in Jharkhand, where rural livelihoods, uneven employment opportunities, tribal and agrarian economies, education and inter-state labour markets intersect. This article examines the determinants, livelihood strategies and socio-economic consequences of migration through a secondary empirical analysis of Census data and published studies. Evidence from a recent multi-village survey, studies of temporary and seasonal labour migration, ethnographic work on brick-kiln migration, and destination-side research in Bihar is interpreted comparatively rather than pooled as one representative dataset. The evidence shows substantial variation in the form and purpose of mobility. In the recent village sample, employment and education were the leading reported reasons for migration, while labouring remained the largest occupational category among working migrants. Studies focused specifically on seasonal and temporary migration show stronger links with poverty, limited landholding and weak household consumption capacity. Migration can diversify livelihoods, raise income, finance education and expand opportunities, but may also increase women's workloads, expose workers to insecure employment, disrupt children's lives and contribute to land abandonment and agricultural labour shortages. The article argues that policy should not seek to eliminate migration; instead, it should reduce distress and hazardous migration while improving the safety, returns and social protection associated with voluntary mobility.
Author: RANA, RANJEET KUMAR
Topic: Migration and Labor Dynamics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7213645573
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: